Health Science Reviews

by Indiana van Rensburg

2021 has been nothing short of a roller coaster. To think that we are already halfway through our Honours degree, have successfully finished possibly our last set of theory exams ever (if we’re lucky), and are on our way to beginning our research projects full time, is definitely something to tap yourself on the back for.

If I were to say that this year has been a breeze, I would be lying, but I can definitely say that it has taught me so many things. If anyone needs a little life advice at this time, I could not stress the following enough:

Get yourself into a good routine. This is absolutely key to ensuring that you stick to your schedule and keep up to date on all your deadlines. The worst thing is when an assignment pops out behind you when you least expect it.

Take some “me” time. Now this I learnt the hard way, and let me tell you, burnout is not pretty. You are the one that is responsible for getting yourself through this degree, so pretty please be extra kind to yourself.

Help each other. Honours is tricky, and trying to get through it alone will be even trickier. Everyone is in the same boat, so supporting one another and helping however you can will only benefit you.

When I look back on the past 7 months, I can honestly say that I have made myself proud. There were so many times when I thought that I was going to drown under the workload, or fail to finish a project to my best ability, but here I am, still standing. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities I have, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds, but for now, I’m going to fully enjoy this short break, and I hope you all will too. Good luck for the rest of the year, you’ve got this.